Hardcore is a genre that, while maintaining some pretty core tenants, is constantly evolving. There are not many better examples of this than Excide’s brand new album, Bastard Hymns , a 12 song joy ride of rawness, melody, hooks, and riffs. The album is so fun that it immediately forced its way onto my Top Albums of the Year list despite being a very late addition. Bassist Jacob Paris was nice enough to chat with me about the process behind Bastard Hymns , the threads of anime running throughout the album, and the influence of anime OPs/EDs that are intimately connected to their music. Your new album, Bastard Hymns , is finally out! Can you tell me a bit about the writing and recording process for it? Jacob Paris : It was an interesting experience for sure. Compared to our previous LP, we had years of writing and riffs sitting that we wanted to shape into this record. We also felt like the direction we wanted to go sonically was even more clear. Was anime on or around while you were working on the album? Paris : It was! I personally had been putting off the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba movie and wanted to crack into that because I've read the entire story. We also threw in Fire Force because it’s one I've tried to watch a lot and I think that story is one of my favorites. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? Paris : My anime journey started probably where a lot of people my age did with Mobile Suit Gundam and Naruto on Toonami! I stayed up late pretty frequently and specifically was obsessed with some shows on that channel. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo , Cowboy Bebop , and obviously Pokémon had a death grip on me during my childhood. Did you get into music around the same time as you got into anime? Were they separate interests for you or does one inform the other? Paris : I would definitely say my music interest ran parallel with anime. I’ve always been a big TV show watcher and I also played Guitar Hero 3 because that game rocks. I think the first overlap for me was watching old trailers on YouTube of Toonami airings and Snapcase being featured for a Gundam trailer. What do you think it is about your style of music, and heavy music in general, that draws anime fans to it? Paris : I think you could tell we were ‘90s/2000’s born and bred. And truly a lot of our interest, influence, and entertainment really existed in that era. It’s hard for us to come from shows like FLCL , Dragon Ball , Sailor Moon , or Hunter x Hunter and hear one guitar shred in a transition or intro and it NOT totally stick with us forever. Did any anime openings, endings, or OSTs have a lasting impact on you or change your approach to songwriting? Paris : Truly Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency ending had my jaw on the floor the first time I saw it. I knew the creator was a big fan of Western music and rock, but to hard cut to “To Be Continued” with “Roundabout” by Yes, with that crazy bass line, you’re onto something. Do you have any favorite openings or endings? Paris : The OST of the Pillar Men in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure , and the song from the Chainsaw Man anime, the One Piece intro, the first intro from Bleach , “Bluebird” in Naruto , the intro and outro from Penguindrum , the outro to SPY x FAMILY . I could give you about a million more but I'll save your readers the paragraphs haha. What is on your watchlist that you haven’t seen yet but are excited to watch? Does being on the road give you time to catch up? Paris : There are definitely some classic anime I feel like I've neglected like Samurai Champloo , Elfen Lied and Fairy Tail ! But there’s also some new stuff I'm really looking forward to like catching up with DAN DA DAN and starting Solo Leveling ! And yes! The road is one of the main places I catch up on anime for sure (and also plane rides)! Have you encountered many other anime fans in other bands? Paris : Ooooh yeah, the Foreign Hands guys, Wristmeetrazor and World of Pleasure all seemed to be into it! Is there anything you’d like to plug or say to the Crunchyroll audience out there who may not be familiar with your music? Paris : Check out the record if you just like having a good time and like nostalgic music. We wear our influences on our sleeves but try to respect the giants’ shoulders we stand on and not copy or plagiarize. We love all forms of media from that era and I definitely think it will reflect when you listen to us and see us!
